How to Create a Calm and Supportive Birth Space in the Hospital

It may not seem like a top priority in the grand scheme of things, but in addition to emotional and physical support, your environment plays a huge role in the progress and satisfaction* of your labor experience! 

If you’re planning a hospital birth, here are some easy ways to create a cozy, calming birth space you’re sure to love. 

Plan for Privacy

Birth is one of the most sacred and intimate experiences of your life. Who you invite into the room during this time matters!

Only invite those you trust and who trust you during this process. That means if the thought of having your mother-in-law in the room with you makes you uneasy, you have the right to update her from afar. The same goes for your best friend who doesn’t understand why you’d ever want to avoid pain meds (or vice versa).

If desired, limit the room to essential staff only and say no to students or interns. You can have your partner or doula gently remind staff to keep the door and curtain closed to create a space that feels as private and comfortable as possible.

Create Cozy

Although many maternity wards have come a long way in terms of aesthetics and comfort, nothing quite beats the feeling of being at home. To recreate a homey vibe in your hospital room, bring personal items that inspire comfort and calm. 

Things like your favorite cozy blanket, photos of your family or pets, an essential oil diffuser with lavender and clary sage, fairy lights, and your own hospital robe are all items that will transform the feeling of your hospital birth space. 

Tamper with the Temperature

Even the most modern hospitals can feel sterile and cold. Adjust the temperature in your room to whatever makes you comfortable. If you keep your house at 72°F, ask your support person to adjust the thermostat as soon as you arrive. Keeping the room temperature between 68-72°F can also help your baby adjust after birth. Newborns have a harder time regulating their body temperature (which is why skin-to-skin with mom is so important), and a moderate temperature can make this easier.

Limit Lighting

Have you ever noticed that most babies come at night? That’s because our cortisol levels are typically lowest then, allowing oxytocin to flow more freely. But as soon as we step foot into a hospital room, bright lights flood our senses, tricking our brains into “fight or flight” mode. While you can’t do much about the lighting until you get into your room, once you’re settled, have your partner flip off the harsh overhead lights and set the stage for peace. 

Set up battery-operated tea lights, a galaxy light projector, or string fairy lights around the room to ease your brain back into a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state. 

Nix the Noise

Envision you’re in a hospital room. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s the constant beeping of the monitors tracking your baby’s heart rate, or the alert when the wireless fetal monitor needs a battery change. Or the machine whirring as it prints out your contraction pattern and blood pressure reading. 

Did you know you can turn some of that off? Or at least drown it out?

It’s true! If you’re set up with continuous fetal monitoring because of an epidural or other reason, you can ask the nurse to turn off the sound while still being able to monitor you and your baby. 

For unmedicated labor, you can opt for intermittent monitoring, eliminating those beeping and whirring sounds completely. 

You can also drown out any residual hospital noises by asking your nurses and staff to speak in hushed tones. Bring a Bluetooth speaker and play a calming Spotify playlist (this one is my favorite for labor!), listen to hypnobirthing tracks through your headphones, or use a simple noise machine. 

In addition to a supportive birth team that respects your preferences and honors your autonomy, these simple yet effective tactics will help you set the scene for a calm, peaceful experience. 

From one mom to another, I hope you have the most beautiful birth!

*Reference: PMC Article on Labor Satisfaction